The Jewish community

Ontario Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Michael Chan has formally apologized for controversial comments he made criticizing attention paid to Israel and the Jewish community.
As reported by Sun Media, Chan told a Chinese-language newspaper that the Stephen Harper Conservative government has been unfairly partial to the Jewish community, over other communities, and may have been motivated by a desire to gain votes and improve fundraising.
Read more: http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/27/michael-chan-should-apologize-or-resign-pc-mpp


The Jewish community has been hit by a wave of anti-Semitic cyber attacks that have targeted Jewish organizations and endangered the personal and financial information of their donors and employees, according to a warning delivered this week.
Read more: http://freebeacon.com/jewish-community-hit-by-wave-of-anti-semitic-cyber-attacks/


הרב חנניה צ'ולק: "28,000 חולי סרטן נוספו  בישראל בשנה האחרונה

Something that is essential

Rashi says in (38:21) that the Mishkan is called so because it is a "Mashkon"; a security guarantee for Hashem that we will keep the mitzvos. When we failed to keep it Hashem takes his Mashkon and destroyed the two Batei Mikdash. The question is that the halacha clearly states that even when a creditor takes away the Mashkon he must return it for the debtor to use when he needs it. The classic example is that his work tools must be returned by day so he can earn a living. Why doesn't Hashem return to us the Bais HaMikdash? Our Merciful Father is surely charitable beyond the Torah's requirements.
I heard from Rav Yosef Chaim Kupshitz Rosh Yeshiva of Porat Yosef that the Mashkon is only returned if it is something that is essential for us to have in order to function properly. The fact that Hashem does not return it, is a sign that we don't consider the Bais HaMikdash critical to our lives. May we all be zocheh to greet Pnei Moshiach Tzidkeinu, rejoice in the Binyan Bais HaMikdash, and witness the Hashroas HaShechina amongst us once again.
http://revach.net/galus-amp-geula/moshiach/When-Will-Hashem-Return-Our-Mashkon/4453

John David Hinckley, who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981, will now be allowed monthly 17-day visits to his mother's home in James City County, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled Thursday.
Read more: http://www.vagazette.com/news/dp-nws-hinckley-visits-20140227,0,5493515.story

June 20, 2011
Jonathan Pollard was not allowed to attend his father’s funeral despite appeals from Israeli officials and supporters who shut down the White House switchboard.
...Pollard was not allowed to attend his mother’s funeral in December 2001.
http://www.jta.org/2011/06/20/news-opinion/united-states/pollard-despite-appeals-not-allowed-to-attend-fathers-funeral#ixzz2uYVjlJvx

Rescinding the invitation

The New York Times has posted an article titled Rift at Jewish School in Manhattan Over Canceled Plan for Israeli-Palestinian Talk describing Paul Shaviv, the dead of the Ramaz school, rescinding an invitation to Rashid Khalidi by the Ramaz Politics Society.

In response, the society drafted an open letter to Mr. Shaviv that reads in part: “I believe it is critical that Ramaz students are exposed to different perspectives and that open dialogue be encouraged at Ramaz, not limited.”
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/27/nyregion/rift-at-jewish-school-in-manhattan-over-canceled-plan-for-israeli-palestinian-talk.html?hpw&rref=education&_r=0

The tail end

Matzav has posted A deeply moving dialogue with Rabbi Chananya Chollak, International Chairman of Ezer Mizion, on the Power of Faith in Times of Trouble and Pain.


Maran Hagaon Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky shlita said to me: “You should know that we are currently at the tail end of ikvesa d’meshicha - the days just preceding the coming of Mashiach. That is why we see so many tragedies. The “accounts” of all the generations must be wrapped up. There’s no time for nonsense,” the Rav said. “We have to snatch more and more mitzvos, increase our Torah study and acts of chessed, because we are very close to the end… The Amora’im in the Talmud said of this period: ‘Let it come, but I should not see it.’ We have to strengthen our emunah and our mitzvah observance and try to carry out the charge, “V’ahavta l’reyacha kamocha - Love your fellowman as yourself, by smiling to others, by thinking about what we can do so that the other fellow will have it good as I have it good. An entire world is at our fingertips. Let’s renew the good in the world, and then we will merit seeing the actualization of  ’Shine upon Tzion with a new light and may we all soon merit its luminance.’”
Read more: http://matzav.com/the-view-from-over-there


VIN has posted Recollections Of Rabbi Yossi Stern, Z’l, a testimony of one man's accomplishments. May we be inspired to live up to our potential.


“There is a cup sitting on his desk that says, ‘It’s all good,’” said Mrs. Alpert.  “That was one of his mottos.  Rabbi Stern had a gift of seeing through things and untangling situations, no matter how complex.”
http://www.vosizneias.com/156453/2014/02/26/teaneck-nj-recollections-of-rabbi-yossi-stern-zl/


Shapiro Crashes UCLA Divestment from Israel Hearing, Resolution Defeated 7-5

"To pretend that this is anything other than vile, spiteful Jew hatred is a lie!"

Never too late

Jerusalem —Washington is to demand Israel implement a partial settlement freeze after US Secretary of State John Kerry presents his framework for extending peace talks, army radio reported on Wednesday.
Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gb0JueWafqUdXS0K50HwJyxRGPrw?docId=7608b41c-e07a-42e8-ae5d-383b86111ab3


The DailyStar Lebanon has the same article as the one above, but there is a difference in the word "Jerusalem" which prefaces the first paragraph.
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Washington is to demand Israel implement a partial settlement freeze after US Secretary of State John Kerry presents his framework for extending peace talks, army radio reported on Wednesday.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Feb-19/247804-us-to-demand-partial-israeli-settlement-freeze-radio.ashx#ixzz2tlb91iAg


The Times of Israel writes about Richard Falk's final missive over here.


Two articles at the Daily Mail caught my eye this morning.


Some books are almost impossible to put down, but one reader was so enamored with a copy of the children's classic Pinocchio they returned it 63 years overdue.

Staff at Rugby Library in Warwickshire thought they had lost their copy of ‘The Adventures Of Pinocchio’ forever after it vanished in 1950.

But librarians were left stunned when their copy of the popular children's story by Carlo Collodi was returned last Friday during an eight-day fines amnesty.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2562402/Library-book-copy-Pinocchio-overdue-63-YEARS-returned-amnesty-sparing-borrower-fine-4-000.html#ixzz2tkVqngS9

Can the person who borrowed the book "Holy Woman" from me three years ago please return it?

Eating a handful of nuts just twice a week could slash the risk of developing one of the most lethal forms of cancer.

New research shows snacking on one ounce of nuts two or more time a week can reduce the chances of pancreatic cancer by more than a third.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2562510/Could-nuts-ward-pancreatic-cancer-Eating-just-handful-twice-week-reduce-risk-third.html

You can't hide

There's an interesting post at Mediaite titled  ‘Lost’ Syrian Refugee Boy in Viral Photo Actually Wasn’t So Lost After All which demonstrates the power of words or lack thereof.


A friend's daughter is currently in New York for a week's vacation. She called my friend the other day and reported that she was walking along the Brooklyn Bridge. My friend told me that she went on a site with a live webcam of the Brooklyn Bridge and was able to see her daughter, who waved to her.


As my friend related the story to me, she kept on repeating, "You can't hide. Ayin Roeh."


Contemplate three things, and you will not come to the hands of transgression: Know what is above from you: a seeing eye, a listening ear, and all your deeds being inscribed in a book.Pirkei Avot 2:1


You can't hide. All your deeds are being recorded in a book. Once recorded, your gaffes can't be undone, unless you are the President.


White House officials have quietly changed an official transcript to hide President Barack Obama’s embarrassing historical error during his international press conference with French President Francois Hollande.Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2014/02/11/white-house-transcript-hides-obamas-chattering-class-gaffe/#ixzz2tiQ64LY5


Christian Officials to Jerusalem Municipality: Give Us Sovereignty on Mount Zion

Jewish State, Jewish eyes

Aaron Klein reports "The Palestinian Authority received a pledge from the U.S. that by the end of 2014, the Obama administration will issue an official written declaration presenting general highlights of a future Palestinian state, a senior Palestinian negotiator told WND."
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2014/02/obamas-big-breakthrough-coming-by-end-of-year/#k9wV1IXciRhlm74a.99

Judging from the comments posted under the WND article, a lot of people aren't happy.


Ramona Wadi would be happy with a Palesinian State, but unhappy with recognition of Israel as a Jewish State.


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's belligerent insistence upon the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state is magnified to the extent that the Zionists' hegemonic narrative attempts to dispel the tenacious Palestinian resistance against enforced oblivion.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/articles/middle-east/9790-the-political-violence-of-recognising-israel-as-a-jewish-state#sthash.R6feSi8e.dpuf



Dr. Naser al-Tamimi asks Will the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state?


Marc Steyn asks Hath Not a Jew Eyes?


Finally, young Jewish eyes are all turned to the gadol, Rav Shteinman, as he tests the boys in Gemara. Click here to watch the video.

Amazing individuals

Rabbi Yair Hoffman has written an article titled Reb Meir Schuster zt”l – An Appreciation.

A reader at the Lakewood Scoop alerts readers to possible kashrut problems at Starbucks.


Chadrei Charedim has a photo of a check for 10 dollars sent by Jonathan Pollard to Yeshivat Beit Shmuel in Mattesdorf in Yerushalayim. After reading in the Hamodia about how the yeshiva was soliciting funds beacause of a roof that collapsed due to heavy snow, Mr. Pollard approached the prison authorities to ask if they could deduct 10 dollars from the money allotted for him to shop in the cantine, so that he could donate to the yeshiva.
http://www.bhol.co.il//article.aspx?id=64898


Vetalmud Torah keneged Kulam.  

Molding a mate

Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis responds to a reader about giving people a second chance when they are known to have flawed character traits.

As I recently told a young woman who came to me thinking she would mold her fiancée once they became husband and wife, “Take a good look at him. What you see now is what he is, and after marriage things do not become better. If anything, they become worse. He no longer needs to romance you. He got what he wanted. If a change can be made, it must occur before the marriage. And this change cannot be just for few days or few weeks or even a few months.” http://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/rebbetzins-viewpointrebbetzin-jungreis/broken-hearts/2014/02/14/

Building the mishkan

KikarHashabat has an article about a suit purchased in Israel which was found to have shatnez.
Click here to read in Hebrew.


"There were two main contractors working on the mishkan together," says Rav Shimon Schwab. "The first was the Betzalel. He was a child prodigy,who Moshe admitted defeat to, and acknowledged the he was privy to special secrets of the Heavenly Court. He also came from the finest lineage in Klal Yisrael being from the Shevet of Yehuda, the grandson of Chur, who was a leader of Bnei Yisrael, who died Al Kiddush Hashem at the hands of the mob by Chait HaEigel, and the great grandson of Kalev ben Yefuneh.

His second in command was Oholiav ben Achisamach, a total unknown. The Torah never mentions any great details about him or his family. In fact, he came from Shevet Dan, from the Pechusim of the Shevatim. Apparently," says Rav Schwab," he was a simple Yid, a Yarei Shamayim, and was a straight and thoughtful person.

Hashem made this odd team to teach us that while the Bais HaMikdash is made by a great man with a fine Yichus, it is also made by a simple Jew who is a Tzaddik in Hashem's eyes. The reason is that we must understand that Hashra'as HaShechina is for every single Jew to be together with Hashem." http://revach.net/article.php?id=4985


I found it interesting that the HuffingtonPost has an article titled 'Masters of Fire' Copper Age Exhibit From Israel Debuts At Institute For The Study Of The Ancient World At NYU during the same week that this week's parsha discusses the construction of the mishkan and the various objects of gold, silver and copper that were made for use with the altar.

Shidduch questions

I came across this thought about shidduchim today and thought I would share it with you.


One day a Yid from Yerushalayim traveled to Bnei Brak to ask the legendary Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh, Rav Shmuel Rozovsky, about a boy in the Yeshiva for his daughter who reached eligible age.


He asked the Rosh Yeshiva how many hours a day the boy learned. Was he punctual in arriving to Seder and did he spend his time diligently. Did he come to davening on time and did he actively participate in Shiur. Did he ask relevant questions and did he understand the answers.
After receiving a favorable report in regard to his questions he thanked Rav Shmuel for his time and began to leave. At that point Rav Shmuel in his gentle and noble manner turned to father and said, until now you asked me questions, is it okay if I ask you some questions? The father agreed.
It seems to me that you are inquiring about the boy for your daughter and you seem happy with the report I gave you. You obviously think that all your daughter needs to know is whether he comes on time and he is a Lamdan. However it is entirely possible that your daughter would like to know if he is a mentch.


It would seem fitting that you ask me, how often does he brush his teeth. Is he pleasant to sit near. How does he behave in the dining room. Does he arrive first to the dining room and take the biggest portion, or does he linger after mincha for a few minutes to learn with a Chavrusa and eat whatever portion is left.


What does he do when the pitcher is empty on the table, does he sit patiently waiting for someone else to fill it up for him or does he run to fill it up himself? Does he occasionally go into the kitchen to thank the staff for preparing the food? Does he eat the food even if he doesn't like it and thank them graciously for preparing it or does he just go to the nearby kiosk to buy something he likes?
You came to the conclusion that he is a masmid, did you ask what he does when he finishes learning late at night and his roommates are sleeping? Does he take off his shoes and tiptoe in so as not to wake them or does he walk in noisily? Does he make his bed and keep his things neat?

I think, said Rav Shmuel that you need to check these things out. If he is spoiled and he arrives home in the afternoon and does not like the food your daughter worked hard to prepare, his face will crumple in obvious dissatisfaction. Will your daughter then be happy that her father checked the boy out with the Rosh Yeshiva who told him that he knows every Ktzos and Rebbi Akiva Eiger in Bava Basra? Will you daughter say, it's true that he has no manners and no social skills but I respect him anyway because he knows all the intricacies of the sugya of the bees and the mustard in Bava Basra?
This was Rav Shmuel's approach to finding a fine boy for your daughter.
http://revach.net/avodah/bnei-bayscha/Some-Shidduch-Questions-From-Rav-Shmuel-Rozovsky/5098

Observant Jews

The New York Times has an article titled A Conflict of Faith: Devoted to Jewish Observance, but at Odds With Israel. In the middle of an article are small photos of four people with the caption, "...all observant Jews who have found that their views on Israel differ from those of family members and friends."

Among the individuals in the photos is a woman who was "later ordained in the Reconstructionist branch of Judaism," who "works for Jewish Voice for Peace, a group that endorses some boycotts against Israel."

Another individual is a professor who "has dropped out of synagogue life." Another is a "regular at a Conservative synagogue in Brooklyn."

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/15/us/a-conflict-of-faith-devoted-to-jewish-observance-but-at-odds-with-israel.html?_r=0

How would you define "observant Jews"?


The World Jewish Congress (WJC) urged Hungary on Friday to reconsider plans to erect a monument commemorating the German occupation in 1944 and to seek greater dialogue with the country’s Jewish community.
Hungarian Jewish groups say the monument is part of an official drive to obscure the role played by Hungarians in the deportation and murder of the country’s Jews during World War Two.
Read more: http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/02/15/world-jewish-body-urges-hungary-to-reconsider-ww2-memorial/


In a write up of a Day of Remembrance for Holocaust Survivors, Derek Saker summarizes what Rabbi Paysach Krohn spoke about at the event, which included a description of a memorial of empty shoes at the Danube River. If you click on the link to the article above, you will see a photo of that memorial. At the 23 minute mark in the video below, Rabbi Krohn describes his trip to Budapest.

Keynote speaker was the world-renowned Rabbi Paysach Krohn, who also is a published author. Not a dry eye was present in the audience as Rabbi Krohn described the memorial of empty shoes at the Danube River in Budapest representing the multitudes that perished on those shores.  He called on us, the descendants of the Survivors, to fill those shoes. “Six million is a farce!” exclaimed Rabbi Krohn “Sixty million is more accurate if you count all the children the six million would have had, had they not been killed.”
http://www.ohelfamily.org/?q=news/2012/remember

Ki Tisa

Rabbi Eli Mansour discusses a"vital lesson of Emuna which we need to learn and constantly be mindful of. No matter what happens, we will always receive precisely what G-d wants us to have."
 
The Torah in Parashat Ki-Tisa presents the Misva of the Ketoret, the special fragrant incense which was offered in the Bet Ha’mikdash twice each day. As the Talmud describes, the incense consisted of a combination of eleven spices which had to be combined and mixed together in a very specific proportion. During the period of the second Bet Ha’mikdash, there was only one family, the Abtinas family, who knew the secret for preparing the Ketoret. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma (38) tells that the Hachamim asked the family to divulge the secret, but they refused. The Hachamim promptly “fired” the Abtinas family, and brought in experts from Alexandria, Egypt, to prepare the daily Ketoret. However, the new experts were unable to produce the type of Ketoret made by the Abtinas family. When the Kohen would place the Abtinas family’s Ketoret on the altar, it produced a pillar of smoke that ascended upward in a straight line, like a stick. But when the new incense was placed on the altar, the pillar did not ascend directly upward; it scattered about.
Continue reading: http://www.dailyhalacha.com/WeeklyParasha.asp


Happy Purim Katan! Rabbi Shlomo Chrein explains the Purim Katan over here.

Bringing laughter to the world

The New York Times ends an obituary for Sid Caesar with a thought that the comedian shared during a 1987 interview.

“Everybody wants to have a goal: I gotta get to that goal, I gotta get to that goal, I gotta get to that goal,” he said. “Then you get to that goal, and then you gotta get to another goal. But in between goals is a thing called life that has to be lived and enjoyed — and if you don’t, you’re a fool.” http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/13/arts/television/sid-caesar-comic-who-blazed-tv-trail-dies-at-91.html?hpw&rref=obituaries&_r=0


When asked how he would like to be remembered, Mr. Caesar replied, "I brought laughter to the world."

Positive steps and warming the heart

On December 31, after Israel released Palesinian prisoners, BBC reported , "U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the prisoner release was a 'positive step forward'".
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/31/us-palestinians-israel-idUSBRE9BU00J20131231


Fast forward to February 13. Below is an excerpt from a BBC article.


Sixty-five detainees have been released from Afghanistan's high security Bagram detention centre, a move condemned by the US as "deeply regrettable".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26166949


Speaking of double standards, click here to read about Israel's attitude towards free speech.

The New York Times apparently feels being Jewish means eating lox as evidenced by the title of an article about a Jewish dating site, "Laying the Lox on Thick, a Dating Site Focuses on Jewish Humor."


AMONG married Jews, the intermarriage rate of those wed since 2000 is 58 percent, well above the rate of those wed before 1970, when just 17 percent tied the knot with non-Jews, according to a 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project. Now the Jewish dating website JDate is introducing an advertising campaign that hopes to help buck the trend, with ads that may strike a chord with Jews but leave others scratching their heads.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/13/business/media/laying-the-lox-on-thick-a-dating-site-focuses-on-jewish-humor.html?_r=0


A giant message in the snow from a teenage boy to his sick mom is warming hearts across the country.
Will Hart, 14, wrote, "Hi Mom, God bless you" on top of a Chicago medical center's parking garage.
Read more and see the message over here.


Finally, I received a message from the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation which I thought I would share with those inconvenienced by the snow.

As we prepare for the coming snow, I want to take this opportunity to point out, that while we will be presented with challenges (parking, ice, dismissal, cancellations, etc.) that are inherent with storms like this, let's remember to be patient and understanding with each other.

Some drivers  will drive or park carelessly, people will be late, tempers will flare, and unfortunately, things can be said and done that are normally unlike us. 

 
Let me assure you - the snow will melt, our lives will quickly return to normal and this storm will be forgotten.
 
But a word, action, or even a gesture, will be remembered long after by your friends and neighbors.

Careful with your words

Jewish-American activist Phyllis Bennis, who supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, has reported that she is on a shortlist to replace United Nations Human Rights Council investigator Richard Falk.
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Pro-BDS-Jewish-American-Im-on-UN-shortlist-to-replace-Falk-341155


In an article written by Ms.Bennis at therealnews, she referred to Ariel Sharon as "the Butcher of Beirut." She also wrote, "Oxfam’s decision to sack super-star Scarlett Johansson because of her high-visibility endorsement of SodaStream, whose manufacturing plant is located in the Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim in the occupied West Bank, was another indicator of the discourse shift."
http://therealnews.com/t2/component/content/article/51-phyllis/1959-states-of-the-union-states-of-war-states-of-the-middle-east--challenging-all

Oxfam's website acknowledges that Ms. Johansson decided to step down.

Oxfam has accepted Scarlett Johansson’s decision to step down after eight years as a Global Ambassador and we are grateful for her many contributions.
http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/reactions/oxfam-accepts-resignation-scarlett-johansson


In a BBC interview, the director of policy for Oxfam stated that the actress resigned from the organization.

Why did Ms. Bennis write that Oxfam sacked the actress? Can we count on her to distort reality if she assumes the position to be vacated by Richard Falk?

A recent apology demonstrates the power of words, how we must be careful with them, and teaches us not to jump to conclusions.

John Hawkins wrotes how  he conducted an interview with Scott Walker and a sentence from the interview caught the attention of certain people who accused Mr. Walker of being a liar.


"I remember, I was a teenager, had just become a teenager and voted for Ronald Reagan — limited government, you know, smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense."


A blogger asked, "Why did Gov. Scott Walker lie about voting for Reagan?"  He opined, "Given the fact that Scott Walker was not ever old enough to vote for Ronald Reagan for president, he’s either lying about having voted for Ronald Reagan or he voted illegally."
http://bloggingblue.com/2014/02/why-did-gov-scott-walker-lie-about-voting-for-reagan/

John Hawkins issued an apology after he realized his transcriptionist had made an error.


A vote for Ronald Reagan meant limited government, you know, smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense.
http://www.rightwingnews.com/misc/correction-scott-walker-didnt-say-he-voted-for-reagan/

"And" versus "a" - one word that could damage a person's reputation.
Hachaim vehamavet beyad halashon.


During the State Department Briefing of February 12, in which  Ms. Harf states, "The United States does not – has not designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, " she was aslo asked another question about the peace process.


QUESTION: Do you have any sense that either the Israelis or the Palestinians are doing any of the tough political work domestically to prepare their people for an eventual peace deal, or is it too soon for it?


MS. HARF: Well, I think the answer is probably yes to both questions that you just asked, because I don’t think they’re mutually exclusive. I think we have seen both sides over the – first, in restarting the talks and then in doing a – both sides in taking a number of steps, the Palestinians by not going to the UN or other international organizations, the Israelis with the prisoner releases.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2014/02/221610.htm


So, the Palestinians are judged to be taking steps by not doing something while the Israelis are judged to be taking steps when they do something.

Disunity and unity.

Jonathan Tobin has written an article at Commentary titled Presbyterians Declare War on the Jews.
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2014/02/11/presbyterian-church-usa-declare-war-on-the-jews-israel/#.UvrWv13T9PQ.twitter


Mendy Kaminker writes about The Dynamic Duo: Betzalel and Aholiav.

The artisans who made the Mishkan and its equipment

Only when Betzalel and Aholiav work in unity can we forge a connection with G-d.
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/2483944/jewish/The-Dynamic-Duo-Betzalel-and-Aholiav.htm

A positive attitude

An article in the Hamodia offers good advice regarding the benefits of a positive attitude.


New scientific studies have reaffirmed a fact that has been known for generations,  aptly stated by the the Maggid of Mezeritch, zy”a: “Tracht gut vet zein gut — think good [thoughts] and it will be good.” A positive outlook gives you the power to change what you see.
Scientists have long known the power of the human mind to heal the body. Harvard Medical School has a department of mind/body medicine. And the evidence of the healing power of belief and positive attitude continue to mount in new studies.
...Chazal (Pesachim 3b) teach us that one should avoid being the bearer of bad news, and even when asked one should avoid answering directly about a tragedy.

In contrast, we are taught that one who delivers good tidings has a spark of Eliyahu Hanavi within him.

Read more: http://hamodia.com/2014/01/14/think/

Rabbi Avi Shafran writes about an individual who discovered what was important in life.

He seems to have discovered something else the Talmud teaches, that our worth is measured by how we live, not by what we have.

Read more:  http://5tjt.com/wealth-management-101/

Remarks and donations

Tuvia Brode opines about Kerry, Yaalon and Moshiach: closer than you think.


Two weeks ago, Israel Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon set off a twenty-four hour fire-storm with a single remark. He called  US Secretary of State John Kerry ‘obsessive’--and ‘messianic’ (“Yaalon criticized for reportedly calling Kerry ‘obsessive, messianic’”, Jerusalem Post, January 14, 2014).
The remark was supposedly a reference to how Kerry has managed current Arab-Israel peace negotiations. The remark was part of a private conversation. It was not meant for publication. It was certainly far less offensive than the ‘Netanyahu’s a liar’ comment from another private conversation, this one between the then-President of France Nicolas Sarkozy and US President Barack Obama, in November, 2011.
Read more: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Blogs/Message.aspx/5543#.Uu3266R3vce


Rabbi Yair Hoffman writes about Priorities in Tzedakah.

One and the same

On January 30, the New York Times published an opinion piece by Avi Shlaim titled Israel Needs to Learn Some Manners.


On January 28, the New York Times published an article by Thomas Friedman titled Why Kerry is Scary in which he writes, "Kerry expects and hopes that both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will declare that despite their reservations about one or another element in the U.S. framework, they will use it as the basis of further negotiations."


Mr.Friedman then goes on to detail what Prime Minister Netanyahu has to do but doesn't discuss anything about what Prime Minister Abbas has to do to reach a peace deal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/opinion/friedman-why-kerry-is-scary.html?src=recg


On January 29th, Avi Weiss published an opinion piece at the New York Times titled Rein in Israel’s Rabbinate.


On January 31, Hirsh Goodman opined in a NYT piece, "after decades of arguing that Israel is not an apartheid state and that it’s a calumny and a lie to say so, I sense that we may be well down the road to being seen as one. "
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/opinion/sunday/how-israel-is-losing-the-propaganda-war.html?hp&rref=opinion


On January 31, an article titled Why Israel Fears the Boycott by Omar Barghouti was published in the New York Times.


To underscore the “existential” danger that B.D.S. poses, Israel and its lobby groups often invoke the smear of anti-Semitism, despite the unequivocal, consistent position of the movement against all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism.
...Arguing that boycotting Israel is intrinsically anti-Semitic is not only false, but it also presumes that Israel and “the Jews” are one and the same. This is as absurd and bigoted as claiming that a boycott of a self-defined Islamic state like Saudi Arabia, say, because of its horrific human rights record, would of necessity be Islamophobic.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/opinion/sunday/why-the-boycott-movement-scares-israel.html


Ann Bayesfsky recently wrote an article posted at FoxNews titled Holocaust Remembrance Day -- has UN learned anything from history?


Last fall the General Assembly’s criticisms of human rights abuse amounted to 19 resolutions against Israel, one each for five other states (including the United States), and zero for the other 187 U.N. members.  
The only country in the world criticized annually by the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women for violating women’s rights is Israel – for violating Palestinian women’s’ rights.  
Half of all the emergency sessions of the General Assembly have been on Israel – and not one on the catastrophes of Rwanda, Sudan, or Syria.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/01/27/holocaust-remembrance-day-has-un-learned-anything-from-history/


6 NYT articles in the past few days portraying Israel in a negative light - 19 resolutions against Israel - but Israel and "the Jews" are not one and the same?